What Happened on my Juice Feast this year?
Earlier this year, shortly after Heidi did her Juice Feast, I decided to go on my own version of the 92 Day Juice Feast.
Now, when I set out on my Juice Feast, I had no intention of doing it exactly the way it was planned. I knew that when I started it, my body would let me know when it was time to move on and how.
And it did.
I Juice Feasted on about 3/4 green juice, 1/4 fruit juice for eight days, after which I stupidly broke the feast very quickly with some extremely heavy and dense food (even though I knew it was not the right way to break it).
After the initial eight days, I spent the rest of the 92 days on a modified juice feast. At first, I did mostly juice, keeping up about 2-3 (or 4) quarts a day. I had a few days of a full gallon of juice after I broke my feast, but didn’t keep track.
Near the end, I probably did not juice very much at all.
The Benefits
The results I had on the juice feast were remarkable. I had some very specific goals that I thought the juice feast would help facilitate, which to some degree it did. I achieved clearer skin, lost some unnecessary weight/puffiness and gained better sleep and mental clarity.
After doing it for eight days, however, I found that I was just tired all the time and I was starting to have some massive cooked food cravings. I’ve learned from the past that when I’m having major cravings for salty, heavy, fried cooked foods, that my current diet is going too far too fast or is not mineral rich enough. I knew that I was getting plenty of minerals (supplement with green powders, lots of green juices, etc.), so by process of elimination, I knew it was time to move on.
After breaking it, my internal chemistry calmed way down and I was able to maintain a high-juice diet for quite a while, which I feel I received some great benefit from.
Once I did break my feast and get into a high-juice/raw (a little cooked) regimen, my cravings for unhealthy foods shot way down, and I’ve given up some foods permanently since.
Since I’m totally into letting my body call the shots, I’ve long given up the perfect 100% raw diet I used to hold and choose instead to get to the point where I only truly desire healthy foods. It’s been much easier, quicker, and more successful than pushing myself to eat a certain way.
Would I do it again?
Yes. Absolutely.
In fact, next year when the Global Juice Feast starts up, I may very well give it another whirl. Again, I will not plan on going the whole 92 days unless my body wants it.
What I found most difficult about the juice feast wasn’t drinking only juice, but planning and making the juice. Even with an excellent juicing procedure, I feel it took way too much time to make all the juice, plan for it, shop for it…I’m just not into spending much time in the kitchen. Then again, I didn’t have to make food the rest of the day!
I could see the benefit and using a commercial juicer and having door-to-door organic delivery or maybe even signing up for a CSA during the feast.
Absolutely Loving Juice Now
After going through this is experience, the thing I’m most thankful for is bringing regular juicing back into my daily life. When Heidi and I started this back in 2004, it all started with juicing…mostly fruit juice, but juicing nonetheless.
It was shortly after we started that we had read many “raw experts” who claimed that juicing was unnatural and “bad”. We boxed our juicer up for nearly two years before really giving it another shot.
Part of the reason Heidi and I run Raw Food Right Now is to be a voice of reason in the raw food movement. With all the blogs, websites, and communities popping up, raw foods is becoming more of a people’s movement and moving slightly away from the guru-centered way it was back before 2005-2006.
We are finding out what is working for us, personally, and it’s evident now that diet (not even something as specific as eating raw) is not a one size fits all thing.
Personally, I love variety; the more, the merrier. I love it all: juices, smoothies, fruit, greens, nut milks, dehydrating, fermenting, “cooking” tea, etc.
It’s all good.
~ JS
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